June’s Culture Fix: 8 Things To Do, See & Watch This Month

The Foodie Pop-Up To Check Out: Monkey 47 Gin x Max Halley 

Foodies, listen in: we’ve found the ultimate pop-up to visit this month, and it comes in the form of a poshed up sarnie. 

Available for one day only on Thursday 1st June, Monkey 47 gin has teamed up with sandwich revolutionary Max Halley to launch the ‘wundersarnie’, a twist on the German wurst. Having sought out the best of the Black Forest botanicals, Halley’s wundersarnie features a traditional German sausage, complemented with Monkey 47’s secret botanical spice mix that gives the Schwarzwald Dry gin its unparalleled quality. Stacked full, it’s finished with a generous helping of sauerkraut, a dollop of Monkey 47 sloe gin-infused lingonberry mustard and topped with Black Forest ham and fried onion crumbs. 

Head down to Leake Street Arches between 4pm-8pm on 1st June to pick up one of these rare sarnies from the Monkey 47 van. Alongside Halley serving up wundersarnies, you can enjoy refreshing tipples and Oompah band beats all afternoon long. 

Can’t make it down? The special sandwich will be available for two weeks at Max’s Sandwich Shop in North London.

The Event Of The Month: Taste Of London 

London’s biggest food festival returns to the capital this month, bringing with it its biggest line-up yet. Taking over Regent’s Park, expect five epic days of feasting. 

Your one-way ticket to London’s hottest restaurants, top UK chefs and exclusive culinary experiences, it’s packed with highlights, from Alex Webb on Park Lane to Caribbean vegan hot spot Jam Delish and Big Mamma Group all making appearances. 

Further confirmed restaurants and chefs include Italian chef Francesco Mazzei, Bar Kroketa famed for its Spanish croquettes, contemporary Indian restaurant Kahani and Mexican hotspot Cavita.

The Film We’re Excited For: Asteroid City 

Wes Anderson films are always a hot topic whenever one comes along, but with raving Cannes reviews, we’re even more intrigued by this month’s release.

After the initial Cannes preview and critics claiming this could be his best release yet, Asteroid City lands later this month, complete with an action-packed line-up of stars. Set in 1955, the film follows a group of students and parents attending a Junior Stargazer competition taking place in a remote American desert town. 

Expect plenty of familiar faces including Scarlett Johannson, Tom Hanks, Jason Schwartzman, Jeffery Wright, Tilda Swinton, Maya Hawke and more.

The New Podcast To Listen To: Scamanda 

For the next gritty podcast to sink your teeth into, look to Lionsgate Sound’s Scamanda. Hosted by award-winning journalist Charlie Webster, this new pod investigates the horrifying story of a Californian woman whose secret ripped families apart and left a community in disbelief. 

Amanda is a charming wife, mother, blogger and Christian woman who tries to live her life to the utmost, but she is dying and holds a secret she doesn’t want anyone to know. She begins charting her cancer story on a blog, touching thousands of hearts around the world. It’s not until an investigative producer Nancy gets an anonymous tip telling her to look a little deeper at Amanda’s story that she finds something unimaginable. 

With four episodes already released, queue these on your next commute and really dive into this investigative story. 

The Must-See Exhibition: Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition 2023 

Everyone’s favourite family-friendly exhibition returns to the capital this month. Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition 2023 is the world’s largest open submission exhibition and is always hugely popular. 

Launching on June 13th, this year’s collection features every medium possible, from prints and paintings to film and photography, sculpture to architectural works. Anyone can submit their work and if your work is selected by RA’s artist panel, it’s a lovely chance for your work to be seen by thousands.

The Book Everyone’s Talking About: I Am Homeless If This Is Not My Home – Lorrie Moore

If you’re into short stories, chances are you have probably picked up a tome by Lorrie Moore at some point. One of the greatest American novelists of our generation, she returns with her next installment this month, with the book offering up a “magic box of longing and surprise”. 

The narrative begins in an NYC hospice, where Finn is sitting with her brother Max, who is slowly slipping from one world into the next. When Finn receives a call from an old flame, a past door reopens and chaos unfolds. Expect questions of life and death, grief and the past, comedy and tragedy, and all that lies within to rise to the surface. 

The New Theatre Show: The Crucible 

This June sees The Crucible heading back on stage, this time landing at the Gielgud Theatre. A new take on Arthur Miller’s loved classic, Olivier award-winner Lyndsey Turner takes this story to the next step. 

With brilliant set design by Es Devlin, follow as a witch hunt takes over Salem. Having been raised to be seen and not heard, a group of young women find that their words have a terrible power. Fear rages through the community, vendettas fuel public accusations and soon the truth itself is on trial.

The Series To Binge: The Idol 

From Sam Levinson, creator of Euphoria, Abel ‘The Weeknd’ Tesfaye and Reza Fahim, comes The Idol, a brand new drama centred around Hollywood’s notorious music industry.

Starring Tesfaye and Lily-Rose Depp, The Idol follows Jocelyn (Depp) as she aims to rise to fame and become the hottest pop star in America. Having received rave reviews at Cannes, this is one to bookmark this month.